In New York State, Rockland county. I went in at 7:30am and there were about 5-6 people voting already but at different machines so there was no line. I voted and was out in 2 minutes. After I walked out the parking lot was all filled up and a lot of people were walking towards the polling station so I lucked out a bit.

For weeks there was only one Obama sign in my area but this morning there were about 10 McCain signs and just that one Obama sign. So that put a smile on my face.

Then I drove to work through Northern Jersey and there was a ton of McCain/Palin signs and that made me smile some more.

There is a lot of stuff to watch for tonight especially the Senate but my interest is mainly (same as most everyone else's) in the Prez race.

I'll be in #SC on irc.mibbit.com all day.  Most of the day I'll be away, but you can drop in and just be idle with me.

If anyone has difficulty in the IRC room , just ask for help and I'll try my best.

Technically, by state law I voted today.  However, I filled out my ballot 35 days ago and turned it in to the board of elections probably 14 or so ago.

We've got some interesting issues on the ballot.  I'm really hoping the payday lending referendum fails (that is a yes vote) although polls show it passing.  Our legislature tried to cap the interest rate on payday loans at 28% (they are currently up to 391%), but the lenders have been blasting the airwaves with ads to get the restriction overturned.  The "yes on 5" people have very little money to put up against the lenders, which gives everyone only one side of the issue.

DIXVILLE NOTCH, New Hampshire (CNN) -- Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama emerged victorious in the first election returns of the 2008 presidential race, winning 15 of 21 votes cast in Dixville Notch, New Hampshire.

People in the village in New Hampshire's northeast corner voted just after midnight Tuesday.

It was the first time since 1968 that the village leaned Democratic in an election.

yippie.

Then took a shower when I got home.  But the good news is that skymutt can now officially consider his vote nullified!  :)  I guess we'll both just have to sit back now and rely on the wisdom of the rest of the voting population.  He he.

In the end the possibility of a surprise McCain victory and the ensuing wailing, whining, and moaning it would cause within the Democrat party was too great to pass up.  Principles be damned.  :(

I went at 11AM.  No lines ... well I had 1 person in front of me at the sign in but the other lines were empty (of course).  No wait once I got my authorization to vote.

I wasn't prepared as I could have been since I haven't been watching the local issues as much as I could have.  For example, I didn't vote in any of the judicial races because I didn't know who was who.  My vote would have been a random choice so I "voted" to not vote in those races so that everyone else could decide.  I trust them to make the right choice there.  :)

I came, I saw, I wrote in:

John McCain of 2000, NOT 2008. (Totally different person)

I tell you, mail in voting is very nice.  No lines.  You get to sit down at home to decide your ballot.  You cantake all the time you want to research the issues.  And then you either drop the ballot in the mail or you put it in a free drop off box.  

Last week Mike Sandvick, head of the Milwaukee Police Department's five-man Special Investigative Unit, was told by superiors not to send anyone to polling places on Election Day. He was also told his unit -- which wrote the book on how fraud could subvert the vote in his hometown -- would be disbanded.

"We know what to look for," he told me, "and that scares some people." In disgust, Mr. Sandvick plans to retire. (A police spokeswoman claims the unit isn't being disbanded and that any changes to the unit "aren't significant.")

In February, Mr. Sandvick's unit released a 67-page report on what it called an "illegal organized attempt to influence the outcome of (the 2004) election in the state of Wisconsin" -- a swing state whose last two presidential races were decided by less than 12,000 votes.

The report found that between 4,600 and 5,300 more votes were counted in Milwaukee than the number of voters recorded as having cast ballots. Absentee ballots were cast by people living elsewhere; ineligible felons not only voted but worked at the polls; transient college students cast improper votes; and homeless voters possibly voted more than once.

More...

This interview with Menendez is a prime example.  You HAVE to read this to believe it.

Senator Menendez Defends Obama Tax Plan

I mean there is no way that this guy is a US Senator and doesn't know (a) the difference between the Capital Gains tax rate and the Top Marginal tax rate, and (b) doesn't know that half of working families pay no income tax at all.

He is either a total moron, which I guess is a possibility albeit a slim one, or he is a lying scum bag.  Actually, those aren't mutually exclusive so he is actually probably both.

Action: Just received urgent email from Obama Campaign

We might not be in a bad shape. Keep hope alive.

In Georgia: Saxby Chambliss may be able to get out without a runoff. That's still not the odds on favorite scenario this afternoon, but he looks to be in a better position. Even if he goes into a runoff, if he is ahead by 7% or more, he is going to win the runoff. If he is 5% of less going into the runoff, Martin will win.

In Minnesota: It looks like Norm Coleman will win re-election today, as will Michelle Bachmann.

In Kentucky: I'm hearing McConnell is probably okay now.

Because of the trends, look for a leadership challenge to Harry Reid beginning tomorrow. Already, Democratic Senators are privately whispering that Harry Reid won't be able to carry the left-wing's water and run for re-election at the same time without compromising both.

FYI

Cool flowchart for tracking & predicting election results tonight http://www.newsweek.com/id/167116

 After taking care of some necessary stuff around the house, I walked over to our voting poll place and cast my vote, bringing a crossword puzzle book along just in case I had a long wait in line.  Fortunately, however, since I went over at around 1-something in t he afternoon, I only had a 5-minute wait.  I did a write in at the polls:  I wrote in Bernie Sanders & Dennis Kucinich, just as I'd planned.  

As much as I don't like the McCain/Palin Ticket and didn't vote for them, I could not bring myself to vote for Obama either, for the following reasons, although I'd voted for him in the primary, especially because Hillary Clinton was carryng on in a god-awful way and supporting policies t hat I could not/would not support.  

Why I did a write-in rather than voting for Barack Obama:

A)  Obama voted for the FISA bill, which would grant  immunities to telecompanies or whoever that violated the Constitution's 4th Amendment, which advocates protection of privacy and against unreasonable search and seizure.

B)  BHO voted to continue funding our Iraq war, even after having gone on record as opposing it.

C)  He has never even suggested cutting our always-exhorbitant military budget, rescinding the Patriot Act, dismantling the Department of Homeland Security, rescinding the Patriot Act or taking  the media out of the hands of big corporations.

D)  During the debate between Obama and McCain on foreign policy, both candidates talked about "going in and kicking some butt", effectively, and "finishing the job that we started in Afghanistan".  (I turned the TV to something  else at that point).  

E)  Given what Obama claims to stand for (Change we can believe in, etc.), all of the above, imho, are completely and totally inexcusable...and unacceptable.  I refused to let my principles go down by the wayside.